Supporting Refugee Education in Your Community

One of the most vulnerable people in the world are refugee and asylum seekers. In the United States, about 3 million refugees and asylum seekers have been resettled on American territory since Congress passed the Refugee Act of 1980, which created the Federal Refugee Resettlement Program and the current national standard for the screening and admission of refugees into the country. Many of these vulnerable individuals lack the support and resources they need to start their new life in America.

Here at UNA-USA, we strive to be strong advocates for refugees in our community. Our members realize the pressing challenges that refugees and asylum seekers face in America and across the world. One of the greatest struggles facing displaced people is the lack of quality education. Together with our friends at Books Not Bombs, we have created a toolkit for UNA-USA members to use in their communities to help advance refugee educational opportunities.

Understanding the procedures of higher education can be tough, especially so when you are a newcomer in a city. Some questions that refugee and asylum seeker students always ask include: Is it a good idea to go to community college first? What about technical and vocational programs? Are there scholarships offered through the city, county, or state open to non-citizens? Unfortunately, many of these questions go unanswered, therefore we realize that there is a huge need for college advising tailored to displaced students. So to help fill the knowledge gap, we are calling on UNA-USA members like yourself to hold college information sessions tailored for displaced students their local community. Here’s how you can do it:

As you can see, there are various ways in which you can help provide educational opportunities for refugees in your own community. Your grassroots support and activism for displaced people is needed now more than ever. Together, we must stand in solidarity #WithRefugees